My top tea in 2011 was the 2010 Shi Feng dragonwell from Red Circle Tea. Second fave was another 2010 tea, Kaburagien's 2010 winner of the temomicha competition in Kansai. A close third was The Mandarin's `3 Stamp' Shui Xian.

The 2011 Shi Feng (two different grades) from Red Cirlce were good but not in the same league as the one from 2010. The 2011 Kansai was excellent but had less overall size intensity and contrast than the previous winner. I reserve The Mandarin's teas to share with close friends and family and for very special occasions. Tim's passion really shows through with his tea offerings.

My tea of the year would have to be the Gu Zhu Zui Sun green from Zhejiang that I got this summer from Norbu.

It was a revelation for me, making sense of a phrase I hadn't understood at the time, "the honeyed sweetness" of chinese green teas, and ever time I drink it I feel like I'm transported to an alpine meadow in the summer, full of wildflowers in bloom.

The first brews were also notable for a powerful effect of the brewing vessel on the tea--the first infusions, made in a my Petr Novak shiboridashi, an iron-rich clay, were quite different from the second infusions, brewed in a glazed porcelain gaiwan, and the third infusions, back in the shibo, were just like the first.

Lots of very fine teas that also gave 'wow' moments: the stunning Song Zhong #5 Dan Cong from Tea Habitat; the very distinctive 'White Oolong' from Norbu; and that first infusion of my order of Hawaiian-grown oolong, when I was afraid it wouldn't live up to my memories of the tea I'd sampled several months before--but it did, and easily. It's a little harder to pick out a puerh moment of equally clear memory, I think because I've been more consistently getting good results from my pu, so nothing 'stood out' quite as much.

I'll admit, 10 out of the 12 months of 2011 didn't see any loose tea - just bagged. Out of the melee of tea that I was exposed to from November on, I'd have to say the one that stands out the most was a 2008 Dayi Hong Yun cooked pu-erh. I loved the sweet, plum-like, earthy boldness to it, and the qi knocked me off my feet - maybe because I was totally relaxed, dunno.

I think 2011 was a challenging year for Japanese greens in general following the series of disasters. Then problems in Shizuoka shifted a lot of demand to other regions ... some of which were not usually available to the West.

2011 was highlighted by adjustments. The one that stands out was much more Gyokuro, a result of major buys shortly after the disaster. So, Kame Gyokuro from O-Cha gets the nod ... having gone through 4 bags. Really a beautiful gyokuro.

Began the TD with Guricha Tokujo from Xell with the Mrs. ... I really liked this one as well in 2011.

TD continued with a budget priced Uji Organic from the O-C with Wagashi sweet. I have to say, I am suprised how complimentary these two opposites were. Although sweet, the Wagashi was pretty neutral in flavor, nothing to overtly distract the tastebuds.

It was very enjoyable. Now if only one could pick up the Wagashi at the local supermarket ... in the Matcha aisle of course.

Thanks to some helpful chaps running a group buy elsewhere it was made in Japan, sent to the US where it was sharpened to the point where my wife won't go near it and the posted over to Scotland. It's a well travelled knife.

I've no actual 'tea of the year' as I just found TeaChat at the end of November. I am reading the topics and posts voraciously (both the old ones and the current) and am making 2012 my year to learn the complex characteristics of choosing, brewing, tasting and drinking tea. Thanks everyone! (Where's the Applause icon? )

In 2011 I had one tea that absolutely stood out above all the rest. That was an Korean Oojeon green tea. It even prompted me to launch a green tea challenge so to speak, where I am purposely going to be trying some of the best green teas I can find to try and get a picture of everything green teas can be.

I can't choose between my 2 favorites. There's my beloved O-Cha Otsuusan and the wonderful TPHK from Jing. Fortunately I don't have to choose - I can drink both teas!

I'm enjoying my washi canisters. I learned here (from Chip) to put the tea in Upton tea tins first, and then store 3 of those In a canister. There's just enough space for 100 grams this way, and there's very little exposure to air.